New Castle is a city in
Lawrence County, Pennsylvania
Lawrence County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 86,070. The county seat is New Castle.
Lawrence County comprises the entire New Castle, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is ...
, United States, and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of Lawrence County. It is northwest of
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, and near the Pennsylvania–
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
border, just southeast of
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County, Ohio, Mahoning County. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of ...
. As of the
2020 U.S. Census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, the city had a population of 21,926.
It is the commercial center of a fertile agricultural region,
officially the
New Castle micropolitan area, which had a population of 86,070 in 2020. New Castle also anchors the northwestern part of the
Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton combined area.
History
In 1798, John Carlysle Stewart, a
civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...
, traveled to western Pennsylvania to resurvey the "donation lands", which had been reserved for veterans of the
Revolutionary War. He discovered that the original survey had neglected to stake out approximately at the confluence of the
Shenango River
The Shenango River is a principal tributary of the Beaver River, approximately 100 mi (160 km) long,[Neshannock Creek
Neshannock Creek is a long tributary to Shenango River that forms at the confluence of Cool Spring and Otter Creek in Mercer County and then flows south to Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. This creek is known for its fly fishing at Volant, Penns ...]
, at that time a part of
Allegheny County. The Indian town of
Kuskusky "at the falls, by the falls or rapids" unm, kwësh-kwëshelxus-kee "hogs" + -kee (suffix used in place names) "Hogs Town"
, settlement_type = Historic Native American village
, image_skyline =
, imagesize =
, ima ...
was listed on early maps in this location. Claiming the land for himself, he laid out in April 1798 what was to become the town of New Castle. It comprised approximately that same , in what was then part of Allegheny County.
In 1825, New Castle became a
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
, having a population of about 300. The city later became a part of
Mercer County. On April 5, 1849, the governor of Pennsylvania signed an act creating Lawrence County, named in honor of U.S. Navy Captain
James Lawrence
James Lawrence (October 1, 1781 – June 4, 1813) was an officer of the United States Navy. During the War of 1812, he commanded in a single-ship action against , commanded by Philip Broke. He is probably best known today for his last words, ...
. New Castle became a city in 1869 and was headed by its first mayor, Thomas B. Morgan. At that time, the population had increased to about 6,000.
In 1849, a group of
Old Order Amish
The Amish (; pdc, Amisch; german: link=no, Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins. They are closely related to Mennonite church ...
families from
Mifflin County, Pennsylvania
Mifflin County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,143. Its county seat is Lewistown. The county was created on September 19, 1789, from parts of Cumberland County and Northumberland ...
, settled just north of New Castle in
New Wilmington
New Wilmington is a borough in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, first platted in 1824 and established as a borough on April 9, 1863. The population was 2,097 at the 2020 census. It is home to Westminster College and serves the Old O ...
. Later migrations from
Holmes County, Ohio
Holmes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,223. Its county seat is Millersburg. The county was formed in 1824 from portions of Coshocton, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties and organize ...
, would make this Amish community one of the largest in Pennsylvania. Approximately 2,000 Amish live and work presently in the townships north of New Castle.
Business in New Castle began to flourish in the early 19th century with the construction of the
Beaver and Erie Canal
The Beaver and Erie Canal, also known as the Erie Extension Canal, was part of the Pennsylvania Canal system and consisted of three sections: the Beaver Division, the Shenango Division, and the Conneaut Division. The canal ran north–south near ...
system, which made its way through the city. Numerous manufacturing plants became located in New Castle because of the availability of transportation facilities and ready access to raw material markets. The canal system was later supplemented and then replaced by railroads which offered greater speed and capacity for freight, as well as year-round service.
In the 1870s, the city became a major hub of the
Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE) , also known as the "Little Giant", was formed on May 11, 1875. Company headquarters were located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The line connected Pittsburgh in the east with Youngstown, Ohio in the H ...
. New Castle's population swelled from 11,600 in 1890 to 28,339 in 1900, and to 38,280 in 1910, as immigrants, particularly from
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, flocked to the city to work in the mills and nearby
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
quarries.
[Watkins, John, ''The Big Stunts of Great Detectives: The Scrapbook'', Vol. 4, No. 6, New York: Frank A. Munsey (December 1907), p. 1098.] Italian laborers of the era were frequent victims of the
Black Hand
Black Hand or The Black Hand may refer to:
Extortionists and underground groups
* Black Hand (anarchism) (''La Mano Negra''), a presumed secret, anarchist organization based in the Andalusian region of Spain during the early 1880s
* Black Hand (e ...
society, which employed blackmail and extortion to rob the workers of their pay. In 1907 the headquarters of the Black Hand for the entire region was discovered in the village of
Hillsville a few miles west of New Castle.
By this time New Castle was one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and with the construction of the largest
tin plate
Tinplate consists of sheets of steel coated with a thin layer of tin to impede rusting. Before the advent of cheap milled steel, the backing metal was wrought iron. While once more widely used, the primary use of tinplate now is the manufacture ...
mill in America, the city became the tin plate capital of the world. The tin plate industry marked a new increase in the city's prosperity.
In 1908 New Castle was linked to Pittsburgh by the
Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway
The Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway, commonly called the Harmony Line, was a broad gauge interurban streetcar line connecting Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States to Butler and New Castle via Harmony and a split at Evans ...
, an
interurban
The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 a ...
trolley line. Steel and paper mills, foundries, a bronze bushing factory, and car-construction plants contributed to the economy. In addition, the
Shenango China Shenango can refer to:
* Camp Shenango a World War II Military Personnel Replacement Depot
* Shenango Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania
* Shenango Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania
* Shenango, West Virginia
* Shenango River
The She ...
produced commercial china and created the fine Castleton China line for the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
, including dinnerware for
Presidents
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
and
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
. Other ceramic factories produced bathroom fixtures and industrial refractory materials.
In the 1920s, New Castle enjoyed its greatest prosperity. The landscape of the city was transformed with the building of many beautiful structures, some of which still stand, such as the Scottish Rite Cathedral, St. Mary's Church, and the Castleton Hotel. The city also established its identity. New Castle is known both as the "hot dog capital of the world" and the "fireworks capital of America". Its
chili dog
A chili dog is a hot dog served in a Hot dog bun, bun and topped with a meat sauce, such as chili con carne. Additional toppings may include cheese, onions, and Mustard (condiment), mustard. The style has multiple regional variations in the Unite ...
s are the product of
Greek immigrants who came to New Castle in the early 20th century and established restaurants along with their homes. The renown for
fireworks
Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...
is credited to two local fireworks companies of international stature, S.Vitale Pyrotechnic Industries, Inc. (Pyrotecnico) and Zambelli Internationale. The first fireworks manufacturer in New Castle was Leopold Fazzoni, who owned and operated the Fazzoni Brothers Fireworks Company. Fazzoni came to New Castle from Italy in 1886 and worked in the tin mills to earn enough money to start his own business. He was issued the first certificate for fireworks manufacturing in the state. Of the people who worked with the Fazzoni family, many founded their own businesses, such as Paul Rozzi, Jacob Conti, Constantino Vitale, and Joseph Zambelli.
Despite recent economic challenges, the city continues to serve as the headquarters of
Pyrotecnico Fireworks, the winner of the 2008 Gold Jupiter, awarded at the world's most prestigious fireworks venue: LaRonde in Montreal, Canada. The company was started by Constantino Vitale in Italy in 1889, who immigrated to New Castle in the 1920s, continuing his business there. Five generations of the Vitale family have transformed the company. In the 1990s the company's name was changed to Pyrotecnico and has grown to be a world leader in the industry. Also located in New Castle is
Zambelli Fireworks
Zambelli Fireworks is a fireworks company based in New Castle, Pennsylvania in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The company was founded in Naples, Italy by Antonio Zambelli in 1893. Zambelli immigrated to the United States and established "Zambe ...
, which was founded in New Castle.
Zambelli Fireworks
Zambelli Fireworks is a fireworks company based in New Castle, Pennsylvania in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The company was founded in Naples, Italy by Antonio Zambelli in 1893. Zambelli immigrated to the United States and established "Zambe ...
is one of the world's leading
fireworks
Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...
and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
companies. These fireworks companies have been featured in venues such as presidential celebrations and Super Bowls. Pyrotecnico and Zambelli Fireworks have changed the face of the fireworks industry. This has gained the city the nickname of "Fireworks Capital of America". New Castle has recently opened Zambelli Plaza near the
Cascade Center
The Cascade Center at the Riverplex is an indoor and outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex located in downtown New Castle, Pennsylvania, opened in 2006. Much of the complex sits on the former site of the Cascade, the first movie the ...
in 2007 in honor of the Zambelli family's accomplishments.
In the 1930s, the city, along with most cities of America, suffered during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. During this time, the federal government established the
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
(WPA) and the
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...
(CCC). These programs offered jobs to many displaced workers. Many of the stone walls built by the WPA and the CCC still stand as a reminder of the historic demise of the economy. In the 1940s, industry temporarily surged during wartime.
In 1950, the population peaked at 48,834, but became part of the
Rust Belt
The Rust Belt is a region of the United States that experienced industrial decline starting in the 1950s. The U.S. manufacturing sector as a percentage of the U.S. GDP peaked in 1953 and has been in decline since, impacting certain regions and ...
, with population dwindling to 28,334 by 1990. New Castle is the county seat of Lawrence County which has a population of approximately 91,000.
In 1998, New Castle was a host city for the History Channel Great Race. Over 15,000 spectators gathered downtown for the festivities. The city celebrated its 200th birthday in 1998 with a downtown fireworks festival that attracted over 30,000 people.
The
Lawrence County Courthouse,
North Hill Historic District, and
Scottish Rite Cathedral are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
Geography
New Castle is located in the center of Lawrence County at (40.997325, −80.344556),
along the
Shenango River
The Shenango River is a principal tributary of the Beaver River, approximately 100 mi (160 km) long,[Neshannock Creek
Neshannock Creek is a long tributary to Shenango River that forms at the confluence of Cool Spring and Otter Creek in Mercer County and then flows south to Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. This creek is known for its fly fishing at Volant, Penns ...]
.
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which are land and , or 2.78%, are water.
Via the Shenango River, the city is part of the
Beaver River watershed, flowing south to the
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
.
North Hill Historic District
In 2000, nearly of northern New Castle were listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
as a
historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
. The district consists of 91 blocks between Falls Street near downtown New Castle to Fairmont Avenue near
Neshannock Township. Its buildings include late 19th century, early 20th century, late Victorian, and late 19th and 20th century revival styles. Some of these buildings have been torn down since its addition to the register, with the most notable examples being torn down for the construction of the
New Castle High School and the construction of a
Speedway
Speedway may refer to:
Racing Race tracks
*Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta
*Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a motor raceway in Speedway, Indiana
Types of races and race cours ...
gas station.
Surrounding and adjacent neighborhoods
New Castle has six land borders with townships:
Neshannock Township to the north,
Hickory Township to the northeast,
Shenango Township to the southeast,
Taylor Township to the south-southwest,
North Beaver Township to the southwest, and
Union Township to the west. Also to the south is the border with the borough of
South New Castle.
International relations
The town attended a World Summit of towns called ''Newcastle'' held in
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme ( RP: , ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. The 2011 census population of the town was 75,082, whilst the wider borough had a population of 1 ...
in England for six days from 17 June 2006.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 23,273 people, 9,765 households, and 5,793 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 2,725.2 people per square mile. There were 11,304 housing units at an average density of 1,323.7 per square mile. 1,539 housing units were vacant. The racial makeup of the city was 83.2%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 12.2%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.1%
Native American, 0.4%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.4% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 3.7% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.6% of the population.
There were 9,765 households, out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.8% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 18.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 28.4% of all households contained individuals under 18, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 20, 5.9% from 20 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.8 years old. For every 100 females, there were 85.3 males.
As of 2017 American Community Survey Estimates, the median income for a household in the city was $31,044, and the median income for a family was $42,807. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $13,730. About 23.3% of families and 27.2% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 40.8% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
![PierIComplex](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/PierIComplex.jpg)
Downtown New Castle underwent a redevelopment centered around the
Cascade Center
The Cascade Center at the Riverplex is an indoor and outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex located in downtown New Castle, Pennsylvania, opened in 2006. Much of the complex sits on the former site of the Cascade, the first movie the ...
. The downtown streets and sidewalks were rebuilt in the early 21st century in earlier styles. The revitalization of downtown also saw two major routes into the city,
Pennsylvania Route 65
Pennsylvania Route 65 (PA 65, also known as the 65th Infantry Division Memorial Highway), is a major state highway located in western Pennsylvania, United States. The route, traveling north–south from the Interstate 279/ U.S. Route 19 Truck ( ...
and
U.S. Route 224, which had both had their termini extended into downtown in 2007.
InfoCision
InfoCision Management Corporation is a company that operates call centers. Based in Bath Township, Ohio outside of Akron, it is the second-largest teleservice company in the United States. It operates 30 call centers at 12 locations in Ohio, West ...
, a
telemarketing
Telemarketing (sometimes known as inside sales, or telesales in the UK and Ireland) is a method of direct marketing in which a salesperson solicits prospective customers to buy products or services, either over the phone or through a subsequent f ...
services company, restored the former New Castle Dry Goods Co. building, into which it relocated its offices from their former location inside Cascade Galleria. The building had been vacant since the late 1980s when the Troutman's
department store
A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic app ...
closed. The building is now known as the Pier I Complex Building.
The downtown area has also become the home of several
bank
A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets.
Because ...
offices, hosting the regional headquarters of
Huntington and
First Commonwealth (all descended from banks formerly based in the city but later acquired) as well as branches for
PNC Bank
The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (stylized as PNC) is an American bank holding company and financial services corporation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its banking subsidiary, PNC Bank, operates in 27 states and the District of ...
and
First National Bank.
FirstMerit also had its regional headquarters in New Castle prior to their acquisition by Huntington, and that building is expected to be town down in 2020.
Mellon Bank
Mellon Financial Corporation was an investment firm which was once one of the world's largest money management firms. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it was in the business of institutional and high-net-worth individual asset management, inc ...
also had offices across the street from the current Zambelli Plaza before selling off its New Castle-area branches to First National Bank, which closed the office building since it already had the aforementioned branch in downtown.
As of 2018, New Castle employed 8,677 people. Industries employing the most were
healthcare
Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...
,
social assistance
Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifical ...
, utilities, transportation and warehouses. Healthcare and social assistance employed 1,724 people, followed by retail trade with 1,172 employees and then manufacturing employing 1,012 employees. The highest paying occupations in this area are utility positions, having a median income of $72,917; professional scientific and technical services, with a median income of $45,125; and educational services, with a median income of $40,469. The current poverty rate in this city is 27.4%, with a median household income of $31,557.
The 2017 unemployment rate was 8.1%, greater than the U.S. average of 5.2%.
Over the past 40 years, New Castle has been transformed from an industrial economy to a more balanced economy based on manufacturing, retail, and service-related businesses. Many buildings and old homes were being renovated by incoming residents.
Tax rates
The current U.S. average sales tax rate was 6.0%, the same as New Castle's sales tax rate at 6.0%. The U.S. average income tax rate was 4.6%, slightly less than New Castle's 5.2%.
Income and salaries
Per year, the average income of a New Castle resident was $18,463 and the U.S. average income per resident was $28,555 per year. The median household income for a New Castle resident was $29,762. This came up short of the U.S. average at $53,482 a year.
The current poverty rate in New Castle was 27.4%, much higher than the average for Pennsylvania at 13.3%.
Wages based on ethnicity
White workers made 1.66 times the amount of salary that African American workers made. African Americans make the second highest salary of any race or ethnicity in New Castle.
Education
Public schools
The city is served by the
New Castle Area School District
New Castle Area School District is a public school district located in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. The district serves the city of New Castle and Taylor Township. New Castle Area School District encompasses approximately . According to 2017 ...
, which also serves nearby
Taylor Township, including
West Pittsburg . The Lawrence County Career and Technical Center is located in the city. As of 2017 the school district consisted of Croton Pre-Kindergarten, Harry W. Lockley Early Learning Center (K-1-2), George Washington Intermediate (3-5), and the New Castle Junior-Senior High School (6-12).
Private schools
New Castle Christian Academy on Albert Street between Sumner Avenue and Clen-Moore Boulevard serves students from Pre-K to 9th grade. St. Vitus Catholic School on South Jefferson Street and Home Street serves students from Pre-K to 8th grade.
Post-secondary education
New Castle is primarily served by five
post-secondary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third-level, third-stage or post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including univers ...
facilities: the New Castle Beauty School for
cosmetology
Cosmetology (from Ancient Greek, Greek , ''kosmētikos'', "beautifying"; and , ''wiktionary:-logia, -logia'') is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty include hairstyle, hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/p ...
students in downtown, the
New Castle School of Trades
New Castle School of Trades (NCST) is a private for-profit technical school in New Castle, Pennsylvania and East Liverpool, Ohio. It is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology.
History
The New Castle ...
for technical trades in
Pulaski Township, the Jameson School of Nursing (owned and operated by
UPMC Jameson) within the city, and the Lawrence County branch of
Butler County Community College
Butler County Community College (BC3) is a public community college in Butler Township, Pennsylvania. It also offers courses in Cranberry Township, as well as in Lawrence, Mercer, and Jefferson counties. More recently the college has begun to ...
, which opened in 2008 in Union Township and serves as a primary
community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...
to Lawrence County.
Transportation
New Castle has
public transportation
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
in the form of the
New Castle Transit Authority, which provides
bus
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
service to patrons around the city and makes three daily trips to Pittsburgh.
The city is served by numerous highways, with
Pennsylvania Route 18
Pennsylvania Route 18 (PA 18) is a major north–south highway in Western Pennsylvania whose southern terminus is at West Virginia Route 69 (WV 69) at the state line in Greene County near the village of Garrison, while the northern termin ...
and
U.S. Route 422 being the major routes running through the city, while
Interstate 376
Interstate 376 (I-376) is a major auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System in the US state of Pennsylvania, located within the Allegheny Plateau. It runs from I-80 near Sharon south and east to a junction with the Pennsylvania Tur ...
passes to the west of the city. Two more major routes —
Pennsylvania Route 65
Pennsylvania Route 65 (PA 65, also known as the 65th Infantry Division Memorial Highway), is a major state highway located in western Pennsylvania, United States. The route, traveling north–south from the Interstate 279/ U.S. Route 19 Truck ( ...
and
U.S. Route 224 — terminate in the city.
Pennsylvania Route 108
Pennsylvania Route 108 (PA 108) is a highway in Western Pennsylvania that runs for from the Ohio state line near SNPJ to PA 8 in Adams Corner. PA 108 intersects Interstate 376 (I-376) near New Castle and U.S. Route 19 (US 19) near Ha ...
and
Pennsylvania Route 168
Pennsylvania Route 168 (PA 168) is a highway in Western Pennsylvania that runs for from Pennsylvania Route 18 in Frankfort Springs to Pennsylvania Route 208 in Volant. PA 168 intersects or runs concurrently with PA 18 at several points, inclu ...
also run through the city. U.S. 422 Business, a former alignment of U.S. 422, runs through the city, ending on each side of the city when the main 422 leaves the New Castle Bypass. I-376 and U.S. 422 are briefly
concurrent
Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to:
Law
* Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea''
* Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
with each other on the New Castle Bypass, though south of New Castle until
Chippewa Township near
Beaver Falls
Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
, I-376 is
tolled by the
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) is an agency created in 1937 to construct, finance, operate, and maintain the Pennsylvania Turnpike (both the mainline and the Northeast Extension). The commission consists of five members. Four membe ...
. The city is located west of
Interstate 79, south of
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...
, and north of
Interstate 76
Interstate 76 may refer to:
Interstate Highways in the United States
* Interstate 76 (Colorado–Nebraska)
* Interstate 76 (Ohio–New Jersey), running through Pennsylvania
Video gaming
* ''Interstate '76
''Interstate '76'' is a vehicular ...
, the
Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike (Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike) is a toll highway operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. A controlled-access highway, it runs for across the state. The turnpike's we ...
.
The closest
airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...
is the New Castle Municipal Airport, with no commercial service. Most residents of New Castle use
Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, is a civil–military international airport in Findlay Township and Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Located about 10 miles (15 km) west of downtown Pittsbur ...
which is about south of downtown. Also,
Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport,
Akron-Canton Airport, and
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is an international airport in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is the primary airport serving Greater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, the largest and busiest airport in the state, and the 43rd busiest a ...
, are all within of the city center.
Media
Newspaper
The city is served by the ''
New Castle News
The ''New Castle News'' is a six-day (Monday through Saturday) daily newspaper published in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and covering Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, Lawrence County. It is owned by CNHI.
The ''News'' also publishes an 8,700-circulati ...
'', a
newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...
published in the afternoon Monday-Friday. On the weekends, the paper publishes the ''New Castle News Weekend'' on Saturday mornings. The ''
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...
'', ''
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
The ''Pittsburgh Tribune-Review'', also known as "the Trib," is the second largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Although it transitioned to an all-digital format on December 1, 2016, it rem ...
'', and ''
The Vindicator
''The Vindicator'' is a daily newspaper serving Youngstown, Ohio, United States and the Mahoning County region as well as southern Trumbull County and northern Columbiana County. ''The Vindicator'' was established in 1869. As of September 1, 2019 ...
'' (Youngstown) also have large distributions in the area.
Television
New Castle was home to the first TV channel
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
television affiliate in
western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania is a region in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, covering the western third of the state. Pittsburgh is the region's principal city, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic ...
when
WKST-TV
WYTV (channel 33) is a television station in Youngstown, Ohio, United States, affiliated with ABC and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Vaughan Media, which maintains joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Nexstar Media Group, ...
signed on in 1953, as
WTAE-TV
WTAE-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, affiliated with ABC. It has been owned by Hearst Television since the station's inception, making this one of two stations that have been built and signed on ...
in Pittsburgh did not sign on until 1958 and
WJET-TV
WJET-TV (channel 24) is a television station in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which provides certain services to Fox affiliate WFXP (channel 66) under a local marketing agreement ...
did not sign on in
Erie
Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...
until 1966. The station moved its license to Youngstown in 1964, moved to channel 33, and changed its call sign to
WYTV
WYTV (channel 33) is a television station in Youngstown, Ohio, United States, affiliated with ABC and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Vaughan Media, which maintains joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Nexstar Media Group, ow ...
. WYTV remains an ABC affiliate today. The channel 45 FCC designation is now licensed to Kent state as a PBS affiliate.
In the 1990s Robert Irvine(Bob James- Radio name)worked with Ron Bruno (WBGN TV), both New Castle natives, working with Patty Gaberial to operate 13 Low power TV stations from Youngstown to the Pittsburgh market. WBGN TV network, The stations started by carrying the all-news channel and then started running local programs Sports, and Local News. With the need for an entire rebuild due to the new HDTV 4k format, Ron Bruno and Debra Goodworth Owners of the transmitters sold the WBGN stations to Micheal Dell of Dell computers and he moved it to Cranberry until the FCC channel repack squeezed the station options and made it impossible to continue.
The main reason for the move to Cranberry is due to the financial support of the businesses in the county being only $50,000 and the station needed to raise around $700,000 per year to hire employees for a small staff and buy new equipment so the decision was made to end broadcasting in the New Castle area. WEPA-CD, a low-power television station (channel 16, virtual 59) licensed to serve Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the United States, which held the call sign WBGN-LP, WBGN-LD, or WBGN-CD from 1998 to 2014 in New Castle, PA the channel was Channel UHF 56 and Broadcast on channel 16 Adelphia Cable and when Comcast came to town Robert Irvine started broadcasting the channel on 184 and kept it going after the transmitter was moved until 2015 when his nonprofit started WLDJ 107.5 FM Radio.
Radio stations, however, are part of the Youngstown radio market according to
Arbitron
Nielsen Audio (formerly Arbitron) is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio broadcasting audiences. It was founded as the American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by mergin ...
ratings, even though some Pittsburgh-area radio stations can easily be heard within the area. WLDJ low power Radio is a not-for-profit community radio station with a license from the Federal Communications Commission in 2014 and has been covering events in the local area with the main focus on music education and a local musician outlet. The for-profit radio station continues to be WKST 1200 am and the former WBZY radio station on 1280 is now WUZZ FM also broadcasting on 97.5 FM
NCTV45 is the only YouTube channel that currently operates as an Internet Television Station in New Castle. NCTV 45 for-profit nonbroadcast media offers significant benefits.
Residents benefit from an increased awareness of local services, events, and general conditions directly affecting their lives. Local businesses benefit from the ability to compete on a local playing field with larger national competitors.
Tourism benefits from the ability for the Internet format to be accessed well beyond the local community. It is our intention to help the community grow economically and improve its reputation and standing in the region. The area is served by both the Pittsburgh and Youngstown television markets, with regular news coverage in the area from both. Despite being considerably closer to Youngstown, New Castle is part of the Pittsburgh
DMA by
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
.
WNWW Radio and Cable TV channel at Westminster College in
New Wilmington
New Wilmington is a borough in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, first platted in 1824 and established as a borough on April 9, 1863. The population was 2,097 at the 2020 census. It is home to Westminster College and serves the Old O ...
operates channel 183 on Comcast cable, currently the only TV broadcast outlet in Lawrence County. this is a training station for Westminster College students.
Radio
New Castle is home to two commercial
AM stations:
talk
Talk may refer to:
Communication
* Communication, the encoding and decoding of exchanged messages between people
* Conversation, interactive communication between two or more people
* Lecture, an oral presentation intended to inform or instruct
...
station
WKST 1200 and
sports talk
Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often- boisterous on-ai ...
station
WUZZ AM 1280, the latter being a
Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio is an American sports radio network. Based in Los Angeles, California, the network is operated and managed by Premiere Networks in a content partnership with Fox Corporation's Fox Sports division and iHeartMedia, parent company ...
affiliate. For
FM,
WKPL FM 92.1, first a full-time country music station called WFEM or C92 then rebranded as Classic Gold an
oldies
Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as we ...
station, was licensed in New Castle before its license was moved back to
Ellwood City
Ellwood City is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough primarily in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a small district in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Beaver County. The population was 7,031 at the 2020 ...
in 2004, though it still includes New Castle as one of its local communities as part of its
FCC
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdictio ...
-mandated
station identification
Station identification (ident, network ID or channel ID or bumper) is the practice of radio and television stations and broadcast network, networks identifying themselves on-air, typically by means of a call sign or brand name (sometimes known, ...
. The AM stations are owned by
Altoona-based Forever Broadcasting, LLC while classic rock station WKPL 92.1 FM is owned by
Froggy parent Keymarket Communications of Pittsburgh.
NCRadio450 operates as an internet radio station from NCTV45.com. NCRadio450 is an Internet radio station focused on playing music highlighting the original songs of local/regional bands.
A local band that has original songs recorded on a CD can drop off a non-returnable copy at NCTV45 for review. Songs must be appropriate for a general audience.NCTV45.com and NCRadio450 is in downtown New Castle.
The city was the site of an important development in the history of the
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
empire, given that the first Warner Brothers' theatre, the Cascade, opened here in 1907. (The Warners, most of whom were
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
immigrants, resided in Youngstown, Ohio.) The building was nearly condemned in 1996 after a wall fell on the sidewalk near East Washington Street (one of the city's main thoroughfares) before its historical significance was discovered, saving the building. Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood donated $150,000, which the state of Pennsylvania matched, to restore the facade. Municipal officials have planned
recent revitalization efforts around the historic site. The Cascade Center currently features two restaurants and a local stage theater, and plans are in progress to turn the complex into New Castle's version of
Station Square
Station Square is a indoor and outdoor shopping and entertainment complex located in the South Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States across the Monongahela River from the Golden Triangle of downtown Pittsburgh. Station S ...
in Pittsburgh. This revitalization plan, however, will focus on motion pictures rather than railroads.
The Cascade Center is named after Cascade Park, located on the outskirts of the city's East Side in
Shenango Township along
Pennsylvania Route 65
Pennsylvania Route 65 (PA 65, also known as the 65th Infantry Division Memorial Highway), is a major state highway located in western Pennsylvania, United States. The route, traveling north–south from the Interstate 279/ U.S. Route 19 Truck ( ...
. A former
trolley park
Trolley may refer to:
Vehicles and components
* Tram, or trolley or streetcar, a rail vehicle that runs on tramway tracks
* Trolleybus, or trolley, an electric bus drawing power from overhead wires using trolley poles
** Trolleytruck, a trolleyb ...
, it was restored and converted into a regular outdoor park in the 1980s with a few historical buildings as well as the park's entrance sign restored, avoiding the fate of nearby
Idora Park
Idora Park was a Victorian era trolley park in north Oakland, California constructed in 1904 on the site of an informal park setting called Ayala Park on the north banks of Temescal Creek. It was leased by the Ingersoll Pleasure and Amusement P ...
in Youngstown. The park hosts the annual "Back to the 50s Weekend" classic car show, and previously hosted the similarly themed "Thunder in the Cascades" motorcycle show until concerns about nudity and alcohol use at the event as opposed to the more family-friendly "Back to the 50s Weekend" had the event moved to the Lawrence County Fairgrounds in nearby
Hickory Township in the early 21st century.
The New Castle Playhouse, a community theatre, is located along Long Avenue and puts on several shows a year. It is one of only a few such theatres between Youngstown and theatre-rich Pittsburgh.
The Old Princeton School
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
, located nearby, has been the venue for rock concerts.
In the 2011 movie ''
Super 8'', New Castle is referenced as the "fireworks capital of the world".
New Castle is the subject of the true crime blog "Small Town Noir", which uses
mug shot
A mug shot or mugshot (an informal term for police photograph or booking photograph) is a photographic portrait of a person from the shoulders up, typically taken after a person is arrested. The original purpose of the mug shot was to allow law e ...
s taken in New Castle between 1930 and 1960, and which were rescued when the town's police department threw them out. The information on the images comes from the ''New Castle News''.
New Castle has a large Arab-American population whose culture is visible throughout the community. Large numbers of
Lebanese and
Syrian
Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both indi ...
immigrants were attracted by the city's prosperity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Their culture is especially visible in the local cuisine, which makes popular use of items such as
stuffed grape leaves,
lamb on the rod,
kibbe
Kibbeh (, also kubba and other spellings; ar, كبة, kibba; tr, içli köfte) is a family of dishes based on spiced ground meat, onions, and grain, popular in Middle Eastern cuisine.
In Levantine cuisine, kibbeh is usually made by pounding ...
, and
garlic sauce
Garlic sauce is a sauce prepared using garlic as a primary ingredient. It is typically a pungent sauce, with the depth of garlic flavor determined by the amount of garlic used. The garlic is typically crushed or finely diced. Simple garlic sauce ...
. Although many other Rust Belt cities contain large Arab-American populations, New Castle is unique for its large population of
Alawite
The Alawis, Alawites ( ar, علوية ''Alawīyah''), or pejoratively Nusayris ( ar, نصيرية ''Nuṣayrīyah'') are an ethnoreligious group that lives primarily in Levant and follows Alawism, a sect of Islam that originated from Shia Isl ...
Muslims from Syria. The Muslim community of the city has a
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
on the East Side of town.
Healthcare
New Castle's only hospital is
UPMC Jameson, located at the intersection of Wilmington Avenue and Garfield Street.
Medicare reimbursements per enrollee were $11,153 in 2014, but $11,196 in 2013. Medicare reimbursements per enrollee in Lawrence County are $1,565 more than national average.
Notable people
*
W. Thomas Andrews, Pennsylvania state senator
*
Joseph Baldwin
Joseph Baldwin (October 31, 1827, some sources indicate October 27, 1827 – January 13, 1899) was an American educator, and called by some the "father of the normal school system".
__TOC__
Early life
Baldwin was born to Joseph and Isabella ( ...
, educator
*
Charlie Bennett
Charles Wesley Bennett (November 21, 1854 – February 24, 1927) was an American professional baseball player from 1875 or 1876 through the 1893 season. He played 15 years in Major League Baseball, principally as a catcher, with the Milwaukee Gr ...
,
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
catcher for four teams
*
John Blangero, human geneticist; highly cited scientist in the field of complex disease genetics
*
Charles Joseph Carter
Charles Joseph Carter (June 14, 1874 – February 13, 1936) was an American stage magician, also known as Carter the Great.
Biography
He was born on June 14, 1874 in New Castle, Pennsylvania and developed an interest in magic from a young age. ...
, magician
*
George Chip
George Chip (Lithuanian language, Lit. ''Jurgis Čepulionis'', August 25, 1888 – November 6, 1960) was a Lithuanian-American boxer who was the World Middleweight Champion from 1913 to 1914 in an era of great middleweights. Chip came to be known ...
, middleweight boxing champion of the world from 1913 to 1914
*
William C. Chip, Major general, USMC, son of George Chip
*
Ben Ciccone, NFL player for the Pittsburgh Steelers
*
Ralph J. Cicerone, scientist, president of the
National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...
*
Bruce Clark, professional football player with the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
and
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
and
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
All-American
*
Jack Cole, cartoonist and creator of the superhero
Plastic Man
Plastic Man (Patrick "Eel" O'Brian) is a superhero first appearing in ''Police Comics'' #1, originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by cartoonist Jack Cole, Plastic Man was one of the first superheroes to ...
*
Paul Cuba
Paul J. Cuba (June 12, 1908 – August 12, 1990) was an American football tackle who played three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Pittsburgh and attended New C ...
, American football player
*
Nick DeCarbo
Nicholas Fred DeCarbo (March 21, 1910 – August 21, 1991) was an American football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for one season in 1933. He played college football for Duquesne University, and played professiona ...
,
NFL player
*
Matt DeSalvo
Matthew Thomas DeSalvo (born September 11, 1980) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He made his major league debut with the New York Yankees on May 7, , against the Seattle Mariners going 7 innings and only giving up 3 hits.
Career
DeSal ...
(born September 11, 1980), Major League Baseball starting pitcher with the
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
and formerly the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
and
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
*
Darrell Dess
Darrell Charles Dess (born July 11, 1935) is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, and the Washington Redskins.
Dess was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania. ...
(born July 11, 1935), former football player for the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
, the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
, and the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
*
Thomas Fee
Thomas J. Fee (January 6, 1931 – August 7, 2013) was an American Democratic politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Biography
Fee was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania on January 6, 1931.
In 1973, ...
(August 6, 1931 – August 7, 2013), member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Castle
*
Israel Gaither
On May 12, 2006, at the age of 61, Commissioner Israel L. Gaither was formally installed as the National Commander of The Salvation Army in the United States,The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...
in the United States, the first black person to serve in that capacity
*
Helen Thornton Geer
Helen Thornton Geer (January 7, 1903 in New Castle, Pennsylvania – March 1983 in New Jersey) was a librarian and professor. She was the author of ''Charging Systems'', which detailed 17 of the different circulation control systems that were used ...
, prominent librarian and academic
*
Louis E. Graham
Louis Edward Graham (August 4, 1880 – November 9, 1965) was an American politician who was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
Biography
Louis E. Graham was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and mov ...
, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
*
Edmond Hamilton
Edmond Moore Hamilton (October 21, 1904 – February 1, 1977) was an American writer of science fiction during the mid-twentieth century.
Early life
Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was raised there and in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania. So ...
(October 21, 1904 – February 1, 1971), prolific
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
author writing chiefly in the genre described as
space opera
Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, it features technological and soci ...
*
Gabbie Hanna
Gabrielle Jeannette Hanna (born February 7, 1991) is an American Internet personality and singer-songwriter. She rose to prominence on the video platforms Vine and YouTube before releasing her debut single, " Out Loud", in 2017. Her debut extend ...
, YouTuber, singer and author
*
Malik Hooker
Malik Hooker (born April 2, 1996) is an American football safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the 15th overall pick in the ...
(born 1996), Indianapolis Colts safety, drafted 15th pick in
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
*
Donnie Iris
Donnie Iris (born Dominic Ierace, February 28, 1943) is an American rock musician known for his work with the Jaggerz and Wild Cherry during the 1970s, and for his solo career beginning in the 1980s with his band, the Cruisers. He wrote the ...
, born in New Castle (February 28, 1943), but grew up in nearby
Ellwood City
Ellwood City is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough primarily in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a small district in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Beaver County. The population was 7,031 at the 2020 ...
; rock singer and guitarist, best known for his work with
the Jaggerz
The Jaggerz are an American rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They came to national attention with their single " The Rapper" which was released on the Kama Sutra label. "The Rapper" was No. 1 in the Record World Charts and No. 2 in ...
,
Wild Cherry and Donnie Iris and the Cruisers.
*
Francis Jackson (born 1815 to 1820), born free, he was kidnapped in 1850 and sold into slavery and was finally freed in 1855 with the resolution of ''Francis Jackson v. John W. Deshazer''.
*
Oscar Lawrence Jackson
Oscar Lawrence Jackson (September 2, 1840 – February 16, 1920) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania and the commander of an Ohio infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
...
, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
*
John Kiriakou
John Chris Kiriakou (born August 9, 1964) is an American author, journalist and former intelligence officer. Kiriakou is a columnist with Reader Supported News and co-host of ''Political Misfits'' on Sputnik Radio.
He was formerly an analyst and ...
(born August 9, 1964), former
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
operative who in 2007 was the first to admit that the agency used
waterboarding
Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water torture, water is poured over a cloth covering the face and breathing passages of an immobilized captive, causing the person to experience the sensation of drowning. In the most common method ...
as a form of interrogation
*
Charles McMeen Kurtz (1855-1909), art critic, writer, museum curator
*
Donald N. Levine (1931–2015),
sociologist, educator,
social theorist
Social theories are analytical frameworks, or paradigms, that are used to study and interpret social phenomena.Seidman, S., 2016. Contested knowledge: Social theory today. John Wiley & Sons. A tool used by social scientists, social theories rela ...
and writer
*
Mark Mangino
Mark Thomas Mangino (born August 26, 1956) is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Kansas from 2002 to 2009. In 2007, Mangino received several national coach of the year honors after leading ...
(August 26, 1956), former head coach of the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
football team
*
Mike Marshall, musician
*
Scott McCurley, NFL assistant coach with the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
*
Bill McPeak
William Patrick McPeak (July 24, 1926 – May 7, 1991) was an American football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 16th round of the 1948 NFL Draft, playing nine seasons for ...
, football player and National Football League coach
*
Andrew R. Morgan
Andrew Richard "Drew" Morgan (born February 5, 1976) is a NASA astronaut from the class of 2013.
Personal life
Andrew is married to Stacey Morgan; they have four children.
Early life and education
Morgan was born in Morgantown, West Virg ...
, US astronaut, selected in 2013
*
Lance Nimmo, NFL player with
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
,
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
,
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
,
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
*
Thomas Wharton Phillips, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
*
Rick Razzano, professional football player
*
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer. He serves as the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and principal songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, wh ...
, lead singer for industrial rock band
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...
*
Christopher Sainato
Christopher Sainato (born May 8, 1959) is an American politician who represented the 9th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1995 to 2022. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Early life and education
Sainato was born ...
, member of the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts.
It ...
*
Ira D. Sankey (August 28, 1840 – August 13, 1908),
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
singer and composer
*
Raymond P. Shafer (March 5, 1917 - December 12, 2006),
39th governor of
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
from 1967 to 1971
*
Frank Shields
Francis Xavier Alexander Shields Sr. (November 18, 1909 – August 19, 1975) was an American amateur tennis player of the 1920s and 1930s, and an actor known for ''Hoosier Schoolboy'' (1937).
Tennis career
Between 1928 and 1945 he was ranked e ...
(born 1945), former Oregon state senator
*
John W. Slayton, prominent socialist and labor union leader
*
Robert Sterling
Robert Sterling (born William Sterling Hart; November 13, 1917 – May 30, 2006) was an American actor. He was best known for starring in the television series '' Topper'' (1953–1955).
In 1960, Sterling was honored with a star on the Hollywoo ...
(November 13, 1917 – May 30, 2006), film and television actor who starred in many films including the 1951
MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
hit ''
Show Boat
''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...
''
*
Chuck Tanner
Charles William Tanner (July 4, 1928February 11, 2011) was an American professional baseball player and manager. A left fielder and pinch hitter who appeared in 396 games in Major League Baseball between 1955 and 1962, he was known for his unwaver ...
(July 4, 1929 – February 11, 2011), former
left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...
and
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
in Major League Baseball, and skipper of the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
'
1979 World Series
The 1979 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1979 season. The 76th edition of the World Series was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National League (NL) champion Pittsburgh Pirates (98–64) and ...
champion team
*
George Zambelli, Sr., Born in New Castle October 19, 1924 (d. December 25, 2003) was an American fireworks entertainer, and long-time president and manager of
Zambelli Fireworks
Zambelli Fireworks is a fireworks company based in New Castle, Pennsylvania in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The company was founded in Naples, Italy by Antonio Zambelli in 1893. Zambelli immigrated to the United States and established "Zambe ...
*
Jack Zduriencik
John A. “Jack” Zduriencik (; born January 11, 1951) is an American radio broadcaster and former professional baseball executive, scout, and player. He currently works as a radio host for KDKA-FM, which is affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates ...
,
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
general manager, former
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
scout
References
External links
*
''Valley Town'' (1940), a documentary on unemployment during the Great Depression, filmed in New Castle*
{{authority control
1802 establishments in Pennsylvania
County seats in Pennsylvania
Cities in Pennsylvania
Cities in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh metropolitan area
Populated places established in 1802